A garden to transform us, inspire us & help us build peace. The Southwark Peace Garden is a community based project conceived by Abdulrahman Musa-Johnson, which aims to create a safe space and place for all in the community. In 2015, 432 of just fewer than 7,500 knife crime offences reported across London occurred in Southwark. The creation of a Peace Garden was born out of a strong community desire to recognise and reflect upon the tragedies that have resulted from knife and other violent crime. This project will represent a bold, symbolic statement of the community’s commitment to action. The Peace Garden will have many uses, for many different people. For some, it will provide a peaceful break from a busy routine - a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Others may take the opportunity to read, meditate or pray within a serene environment. Crucially, the space will provide a place of remembrance for those who have lost their loved ones to knife crime. In addition to these functions, the Peace Garden will also function as a unique piece of art, with a powerful sculpture forged from decommissioned weapons to act as an image of destruction turned into beauty. This powerful symbol passes on a clear message, and can provide a backdrop for campaign actions, seminars and remembrance services as we try to make Southwark safer for all.
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FUNDRAISING
To make the Southwark Peace Garden a reality, fundraising is essential. The project can be broken down as follows:
Consultation and planning phase – provided FREE by parties involved
Design Phase - provided FREE by students from the Chelsea College of Arts
Labour - provided FREE by the church and Youth Offending Service
Materials - to be sourced from local business. The Sculpture consists of the following elements:
Raw Materials - provided FREE by the Metropolitan Police Service
Design - provided FREE by students from the Camberwell College of Arts
Storage and processing the Materials - to be done by private firm and will require FUNDS est. £8,000 - £10,000
Sculpture creation phase - provided FREE by students from the Camberwell College of Arts
As you can see, we have tried to provide as much of the work required to complete this project without incurring costs but unfortunately not everything is free. We hope that you can be a part of the vision and efforts of the local community in dealing with the problem of knife crime by creating a positive and uplifting symbol for the future.
‘There is no road towards peace: peace is the road” – Ghandi.